Kansas sophomore Carlton Bragg accused of domestic battery

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas forward Carlton Bragg Jr. was suspended indefinitely Friday after he was accused of pushing his girlfriend down a flight of stairs and charged with one count of battery.

The 20-year-old sophomore was taken into custody shortly after midnight, according to the district attorney’s office in Douglass County. Bragg allegedly struck the woman and pushed her during an argument.

Bragg pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor, which carries a fine and up to six months in jail if he is convicted. His next court date was scheduled for Dec. 27.

He will not play for the third-ranked Jayhawks (8-1) against Nebraska on Saturday.

"Carlton and I have spoken," Kansas coach Bill Self said in a statement. "He certainly understands the circumstances surrounding this issue. We are taking this charge very seriously. We’re going to hold him out from competition as we continue to gather facts."

Bragg has appeared in all nine games with five starts this season, and is averaging 7.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in 16 minutes. But the long, lean forward has slowly lost playing time as the Jayhawks have gone to a smaller, quicker lineup the last few weeks.

Still, the former five-star recruit and top-50 prospect coming out of Villa Angela St. Joseph in Cleveland is considered a first-round draft pick if he leaves school early. Many thought he would declare for the draft after last season, even though he averaged just 3.8 points and 8.9 minutes.